Godly Ladies in Training

A Tip on How to Effectively Memorize Verses

2009-10-24T15:30:00.002+08:00

When I was in 4th grade, I won Best Speller of the year. If a human resource manager would interview me for a job and ask me what the greatest accomplishment in my life is, I’d probably say, “Becoming the Best Speller when I was in 4th grade.”

I wasn’t one of the top students in class but my English teacher picked me for the spelling competition anyway. I was nervous. I’d never entered an academic competition before. The competition droned on and scores were tight. I ended it when I spelled ‘kayak’ correctly and won one point ahead of the rest. I walked out of the school library a bit shaking. Did I just win? I could not believe it. I returned to my room and my classmates asked what happened in the competition. Someone asked if I won. I nodded and everyone cheered.

They asked if I’ve memorized the dictionary. No, I didn’t. I just happened to read ‘kayak’ a few days back and looked it up in the dictionary.

Ten years later, people still ask if I memorize the dictionary. No, I don’t. I still commit spelling errors at times with the most common words. While I don’t memorize the dictionary, I do read it occasionally. It wasn’t because I wanted to win that I won. I just wanted to be a good speller.

Well, what does this post got to do with memorizing verses? Oh well, I just thought that it runs the same way when we memorize verses. Most Christians brought up in church, if not all, were brought up memorizing verses so we can have special rewards. While that may be an effective motivation to memorize, it isn’t giving the reward that our spirit craves.

I’ve noticed recently too, that many Christians who’ve read Do Hard Things have included “Memorizing Verses” in their list of Hard Things. It is good that memorizing verses have captured them because of Do Hard Things but it isn’t good to memorize just for the sake of doing something hard.

I’ve memorized a lot of verses but it isn’t because I want to accomplish a hard thing. I just want to know Jesus more.

"End of the Spear" (Missons Week)

2009-10-15T20:35:00.005+08:00

Worship Team leads in praising the Lord

Watched End of the Spear and shed many a tear.

Played a game. We had to close our eyes and shout out a phrase or sing a song to find our teammates.

Debriefing time. We talked about what stood out to us from the movie. This eventually led to talking about people we were in conflict with. Although the Aucas were the tribesmen who had murdered their husbands, the wives of this men chose to minister to the people.

The Urgency of the Great Commission (Messiah College Missions Week)

2009-10-05T00:21:00.008+08:00

First day of "Step Out! Stand Out!"—our college's Missions Week. We started with prayer for the Christians around the world, missionaries, church elders; prayer for unreached people groups, countries which have never yet heard of the Gospel; nations, governments, authorities, etc.

Our president, then, called to our attention the importance of the Great Commission:

"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:18-20

As Christians, we are missionaries to the people we meet everyday. They may be our neighbors, our classmates, relatives, friends, acquaintances...and they all need to hear the Gospel. It doesn't matter where you are; you are called to be a missionary. As the song The Mission says: "...across the street or around the world, the mission's still the same: proclaim and live the truth in Jesus' Name."

In the afternoon, we watched Beyond the Gates of Splendor. Most of us have heard about them—Jim Elliot and his companions (Nate Saint, Pete Fleming, Roger Youderian, and Ed McCully)—but this movie provided fresh insight to the story and a deeper meaning of the Great Commission. Through the stories and the testimonies of the wives, we were able to hear how these young men found their passion in the field of missions and shared their dream of reaching the Auca tribe.

We had the opportunity to hear from students as well. These are our graduating batch. They went to Cambodia during the summer for a short-term cross-cultural mission trip. They shared their experiences (eating delicacies such as spiders and crickets, visiting cultural museums, going to a park where the walkway is paved with silver, meeting missionaries who work and give so much and have no one to really help them, yet continuing in the work for the glory of God) and what the trip made them realize.

We also heard from the head of the youth missions department of a church. He shared to us how God called him, as well as the challenges he and his team have experienced. He also shared about God's goodness and faithfulness even in the most difficult situations.

"I have but one passion - it is He, it is He alone. The world is the field and the field is the world; and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in winning souls for Christ."
Count Zinzindorf

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

Self-control... wait, I got to check Facebook before I post this

2009-10-01T11:08:00.000+08:00

There, I finally got to post this.

But then just after you've opened this page you took several detours first just like I did before getting to see this video. Like any other teen, you probably checked another web page to "maximize your time" while our blog's page is loading. You must have checked Twitter, Facebook, email, Skype, a friend's blog, or done a personality quiz. You also probably have 6 tabs open in one window. Or 6 tabs in each possible Internet window you have opened.

And there, the video is done loading. You watch or maybe not. You'll just listen while checking another page. Make no more detours, this video is worth your time. Watch and listen.

Step Out! Stand Out! (Messiah College Missions Week)

2009-09-24T01:51:00.004+08:00

This week is our school's Missions Week. We set aside a time every year—one full week—to review once more the challenge of the Great Commission. During this time, we usually invite guests (missionaries, pastors, etc.) to speak to us.

This year's slogan is Step Out! Stand Out! Our theme is military. In this present age, there is an ever-increasing need to share the message of salvation. As Christians, we need to answer to that call. We need to take the challenge. We need to be soldiers for Christ.

It's only the second day, but I have been challenged, inspired, blessed. I look forward to the rest of the week.

Pictures and stories to come!!!

Your Dollar Can Be A Blue Gold

2009-09-09T08:06:00.004+08:00

Alyssa and I have been very much occupied for the past month. But we have not forgotten that we have a blog. :)

A year ago, a sixteen year-old guy decided that he wanted to help people in Sudan by building wells for them. One well costs $8,000. By December 2008, he raised $10,000 and was able to build one well for the Sudanese people. This year, he's at it again and we're very excited for the raising of $24,000 to build three wells!

Well, Joshua Guthrie is not your higher than average Joe. In fact, he's completely normal for his age doing school, playing video games, enjoying time with his family. The difference? His compassion for people who need so much of what we constantly take for granted: water.

Watch the video and tell your friends about it! Share it on emails, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or blog about it! Give up a dollar and make a difference in the lives of people in Sudan!

.:::: www.DollarforADrink.org ::::.

Death Is Certain

2009-08-01T07:52:00.016+08:00

As a child, my mind tirelessly worked around thoughts, questions, imaginations and childhood fantasies (which I still often do despite my age, well, I'm not that old). One of them was dying. I didn't want to die. I would like to live forever. I've even picked the age I wanted to be like forever. I wanted to be fifteen. Its years are in between childhood and that of adulthood where I can still play and still take matters seriously. Fifteen was both close to 12 and 18 so I decided I wanted to be fifteen forever. Well, that was until I read Tuck Everlasting.

I, then, decided that I wanted to die and that I should die.

But the question why must people die still lingered. Why didn't just God create people not to die? And as I grew I began to understand little by little His design for man. As children usually have, I have had strings of questions (and still do) that sometimes upset adults. How would the earth have been if Adam and Eve did not fall into sin?

People generally want to be certain of all things especially that of the future but one thing certain that they certainly don't like is death. They want to live on forever in this world where in a funny sense people and things die everyday. In short, a living and dying world. Dying was here even before we were born. It's something certain to happen to everyone. There is a time to be born and a time to die. Even if I was born, I am to die. You are to die.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time.
He has also set eternity in the hearts of men;
yet they cannot fathom what God has done
from beginning to end." (Ecc. 3:11)

But even if we die, God designed something wonderful for us after death. Another life, life much more wonderful than anything in this world. Only that He gives us the choice to choose whether we'll have life after death or death after death.

You might not understand so much what I'm saying if you don't believe that there is something in store for us after death. It's written in the whole of the Living Book, the Bible. And by His words I live. For to me to live is to know and cherish Christ and to die is a very great gain.

For all its worth, I'll wager that there is life after death. As put by the famous philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal,

"If I believe in God and life after death and you do not, and if there is no God,
we both lose when we die.
However, if there is a God, you still lose and I gain everything."

What will you choose?

Different Definitions

2009-07-21T13:49:00.003+08:00

Though Alyssa and I are usually together we don't really have many pictures together. So last Sunday after a youth welcoming activity at church we decided to take pictures together. Here is one of what we took.

(L-R) Alyssa and Christin goes wacky.

The picture should really be wacky but it turned out that we have extremely different definitions of wacky. :)

Nokia 8210 Is A Classic!

2009-07-18T00:03:00.008+08:00

I am an owner of a Nokia 8210 cellphone model for so many years now--and hopefully for more years to come. My cell phone can text people up to only 160 characters. It can call and receive calls, don't you worry. It has a 1-hour maximum talk time. It has a yellow backlight and black characters--in short, it's not colored. It has limited space for only 60 text messages and around 500 contacts for storage. It has a calendar, an alarm clock, and basic calculator. Its tones are all monotones. And yeah, my ringing tone is Love Is the Answer, if you care to know.

My phone is pretty much functional. It works I assure you. It's kinda invincible too. I've acidentally dropped it many times. It even got smashed but when assembled, it still works perfectly well! If you think my cell phone is boring, you're wrong! It has games. I have the classic headless snake, the mind-boggling memory game and the frustrating rotation game.

Many people gloat at the fact that I still own an old cell phone model. There are so many "hi-tech" phones out there that has plenty of options for texting, calling, voice, messaging, gaming and even Internet. To many, my phone is outdated and totally out of fashion. Obsolete. I could read people's eyes when they look at my phone, "Why on earth is she still using that phone?"

I guess I just learned to be content. I've learned (and have been learning) the difference of need and want. God taught me that some things, such as cell phones, can be so alluring that you will want it too much and end up thinking that it's a need. "It's gotta be a need!" We shout and then we go into a flurry of why it should pass for a need.

Cell phones for the past years have heightened people's mobility with the advent of Internet right at your phone. "The world is at your fingertips," an ad says. It may have increased mobility and interaction but it has lessened the value of true interaction with real people in real life.

Online activities are already overwhelming with computer alone. And I won't have online activities follow me everywhere I go. Email, Facebook, Twitter, and everything online should stay home in the computer, their rightful place. Call and text is all I really need to carry with me and the rest would be natural and real life conversations with friends. Something God has originally designed for what communication and interaction should be.

It must not be mistaken that I am against online interaction. I have plenty of online friends and it's always a pleasure to chat with them when we "meet" online. It is just this: God has placed in my heart to value higher the real life communication He designed than the high technology communication our human efforts invented.

My Nokia 8210 isn't outdated. It's a classic and it reminds me of my favorite biblical adage,

But godliness with contentment is great gain
(1 Timothy 6:6)

I will continue to pursue God with whatever He provides regardless of what the world may think of his provisions for me. They may be unfashionable, outdated and obsolete to them. But anything from Him, I regard it classic and timeless.

Names of God

2009-07-17T22:45:00.003+08:00

I love names. I have a list of my favorite names. I like telling people that I like their names and would say their names five times or so just to enjoy its beauty. Some of them are Sunday, Honor, Umaga, Jane, Anne, Edward, Paul, Elaine and Louise. I just love calling them their names.

As much as I love human names, I've been constantly drawn to know more of God's names. Listed below are some of His many Names. Look them up and enjoy the beauty and meaning of Him and His Names.

1) Jehovah Rohi
The Lord Your Shepherd (Isaiah 40:11)

2) Jehovah Nissi
The Lord Your Banner (Exodus 17:8-16, Deuteronomy20:4)

3) Jehovah Shalom
The Lord Your Peace (Judges 6:23-24)

4) Jehovah M'Kaddesh
The Lord Who Sanctifies (Leviticus 20:7-8)

5) Jehovah Jireh
The Lord Who Provides (Genesis 22:13-14)

6) Jehovah Sabaoth
The Lord of Hosts (Psalm 46:7, Psalm 24:8)

7) Jehovah Elyon
The Most High God (Psalm 7:17)

8) Jehovah Rapha
The Lord Who Heals (Exodus 15:26)

9) Jehovah Shammah
The Lord Who Is There (Ezekiel 48:35)

10) Adonai
Lord and Master (Joshua 24:19-21)

11) El Roi
The God Who Sees (Genesis 16:13, 1 Chronicles 28:9)

12) El Olam
The Eternal God (Genesis 21:33)

13) El Shaddai
The Almighty, All Sufficient God (Genesis 17:1)

14) Elohim
The Strong Faithful and Only True God (Genesis 1:1. Deuteronomy 10:20)

I'd Like To Know You More

2009-07-16T13:42:00.013+08:00

In high school, I loved having my friends sign my autograph book. Aside from spending time with them, my knowledge of them increases because of the autograph book. Take note though that my autograph book is not the kind you buy from bookstores. I made it myself with questions and things that I want to know about them. From contact details down to their hobbies, likes, dislikes and all favorites than can be listed such as colors, seasons, food, drink, etc.

It's most useful to me during holidays and birthdays. I would know just what to give to please them and make them happy in those special dates. I just love making their day.

I'm currently reading A.W. Tozer's Pursuit of God and it has been shaming me of my shallowness and correcting my views about God. Tozer wrote,

"The modern scientist has lost God amid the wonders of His world; we Christians are in real danger of losing God amid the wonders of His word. We have almost forgotten that God is a person and, as such, can be cultivated as any person can."

Most people would acknowledge that there is a God. And to Christians we wholly believe that there is a God. We know that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins and if we receive Him in our hearts we receive the gift of eternal life...

Sadly, we end there when in fact there is so much more to receiving His gift of eternal life.

John 17:3 clearly defines what is eternal life, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (NIV)

We forget that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit is a Person. He is not an object in the far heavens who is just there. He is a Person who "thinks, wills, enjoys, feels, loves, desires, and suffers as any other person may." (Tozer)

We enjoy the fellowship of our family and friends and He also enjoys having fellowship with His children. Yet, between us and Him, He is the only One who really desires and would enjoy fellowship. We treat quiet times as something dragging, tiring and boring. I'm very much guilty with that.

In relationships there is what you call interpersonal communication. It's a communication between two persons. For it to be effective, each person should keep the communication flow constantly. Just how can our personal relationship with God flourish if the only Person who wants to keep the flow going is Him?

As much as we love being with our loved ones then so much more should we love being with the Person who is our Redeemer, Father, Brother and Friend! We can never enjoy the gift of eternal life if it's only Him knowing us and us not truly knowing Him.

To enjoy eternal life is to enjoy Him. Take action brothers and sisters. How have you been treating God? Is he a mere object or a faraway God to you? Thirst for Him. If you don't feel that thirst, then ask Him to make you thirst! Because only when you thirst will you have the longing to know Him more.

Know what He likes and dislikes. Know all His names. Know what glorifies Him. When we try to know Him, He is so much pleased with us and is glorified.

O God, you are my God,
Earnestly I seek you,
My soul thirsts for you,
My body longs for you,
In a dry and weary land
Where there is no water.

Psalm 63:1

Let us continuously thirst for Him and we shall truly know what is eternal life.

Harris Twins' Live Steaming

2009-06-26T06:13:00.007+08:00

The twins announced their live streaming yesterday over at The Rebelution. 3:30 EST. I converted it to GMT +8 twice, set my alarm clock and waited for it... I would never wholly trust time converters again! I missed the Harris twins' live streaming by 25 minutes! But time converters immediately made it up with me when I was given a great time chatting with rebelutionaries across the ocean. 15-20 rebelutionaries all on at the same time? It was tons of fun and excitement. More of that in a while.

Alex & Brett talked about the concept of their upcoming book and released its title. No spoilers... you can watch the video and learn what the title is. If you think that Do Hard Things has left you wandering where to start in doing hard things, then you'll surely look forward to this new book.

For more excitement. Alex said that they might do live streaming again if we liked it. If Alex could hear, "We liked it very MUCH!!!!" Quite apparent because there are still people on chat at this very moment.

*********************************************

How To Watch the Video:
At the bottom of the airing video
click on "On-Demand"
then click the twins' video on the
topmost of the selection.

Ignore this if the video embedded above works well.

*********************************************

Hatred On the Prosperity Gospel

2009-06-25T11:35:00.002+08:00

John Piper nails so many truths in this short video. Be gripped and live not the prosperity gospel.

A Tale So Lame

2009-06-24T01:21:00.002+08:00

We decided to poke into some fun and the result is a video that ended having such a lame story. It was made roughly and at the spur of the moment so no guarantees of any amusement at all.

Meeting Sir Paul

2009-06-19T16:58:00.005+08:00

Yesterday, Christin and I went to OMFLit. We had the wonderful privilege of meeting Sir Paul Aragones, the CEO, a very kind man who is enthusiastic about the message of Do Hard Things. We thanked him for having the book published in the Philippines and assured him that we would continue to promote and spread the word about Do Hard Things, as well as other books.

Truly, Do Hard Things is spreading across the Philippines, not just among teenagers, but among parents as well. As each day passes, our excitement grows, as more and more people step up to take the challenge of doing Hard Things.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Spreading Do Hard Things

2009-06-16T18:42:00.011+08:00

A few years back, The Rebelution was only a simple blog with great posts. It blew our minds that there's actually much more to teen years than school and fun. That there's much more that God can actually do through us if we would just choose to throw the shackles of low expectations and step up to the challenge that God has for us.

Alyssa and I were so excited. We wanted to share the potential of teen years to every Filipino youth. We recommended the site to everyone we know but the response wasn't exciting as we expected it to be. Just how do you recommend a site to people who are not keen in reading blogs? (Blogs weren't that very popular here)

Fast forward three years later... The Rebelution has become a great website with great posts, forums, and conferences. And the blog posts were condensed into a book: Do Hard Things. With a book as a medium, more people caught the fire in maximizing their teen years for God. But just how do you recommend a book that isn't even available in your country? God answered by bringing the book here through OMF Literature.

I'm so excited that we're not the only ones now who recommend the book but there are rebelutionaries springing up from everywhere across the archipelago. We're glad that the book is here but there's still a lot of work to do in igniting fire and it does not end in reading the book.

Do Hard Things is still new and you might be the only one in your group who has read Do Hard Things. I'm sure you're excited as we are with what the book has to offer to teens but not everyone loves nor likes to read. While it is prevalent among Filipino teens to easily get bored with books there is a way you can share the book's message to them.

Not many people may care when you say, "Do Hard Things!" or tell them about the book, but there are many teens and adults alike in your church, school or work, who are chained by the society's low expectations. And their hearts are silently crying out for bigger things that God has for them. You must find these people.

These people may not be easy to find at first. But until you reveal yourself will they only probably reveal themselves. Your first "hard things" might be alone but if you live as if God is the prime source of your life and faithfully exert yourself in doing hard things you'll attract these people. They're just around and are probably looking for a fellow youth and a comrade like you who can be with them in stepping out of their comfort zone and forward to battle.

I pray you'll find these people and together with them,

DO HARD THINGS FOR HIS GLORY!

Are You A Princess?

2009-06-13T10:05:00.011+08:00

Are you a princess? I would request you to answer that truthfully before reading the rest of this post? Well, are you?

Princess culture has been so prevalent in the past few years. At first, it was just Barbie and Disney dolls and in came Bratz Dolls and all sorts of "princessy" items in the market. Megan Bashan of the Wall Street Journal wrote an interesting article on how this princess industry is turning little girls into future narcisstic women.

Bringing Up Princess: Turning Girls Into Narcissists
http://online.wsj.com - Megan Bashan - 12-June-09

The princess industry has been booming in the past few years -- not just the Disney dolls and scratchy toy-store ball gowns that are a rite of passage in most American girlhoods, but a brazen new breed of princess products that target a far wider age range and tap into less seemly attitudes. The hot-pink, leopard-print princess backpacks, T-shirts, purses and bedspreads that girls are now buying (or, rather, their parents are buying for them) have little to do with indulging sweet princess fantasies and everything to do with catering to over-indulged princess egos.

Take the popular tween retailer Justice. At malls nationwide, it carries multiple "Princess" tops and accessories that look a lot more like Paris Hilton's attire than Snow White's. No surprise that part of its marketing slogan is "Love yourself."

How many times have I seen girls wearing shirts with similar prints and didn't even realize that narcissism was creeping into the culture like a pussing kitten? I thought it was all cute and safe but reading Bashan's article revealed that there is an underlying power in this princessy culture that we all seem to adore. Bashan noted a sad fact that even we Christians have already caved into the princessy narcissism.

Sadly, even believing Christians are participating in the princess push. Christian retail outlets like A Different Direction carry "God's Girlz," glamour dolls dressed in princess shirts and spandex with sparkling tiaras on their heads. St. Paul may have exhorted women to be modest in their dress, but many church-going girls proudly wear Christian-marketed clothing imprinted with messages like "Yes, I am a Princess." The small print underneath -- "I'm a daughter of the King" -- is supposed to differentiate the sentiment from secular princess gear (never mind that the King's firstborn declared himself not a prince but a servant of all.)

Read the rest of the article>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I'm 100% sure that you answered, "Yes, I am a princess. I'm a daughter of the King." If you didn't, I bet your answer is the same but just of another form. Aren't we God's children? He is a King and so, we are His daughters. His princesses.

Most Christian girls have that reasoning and though there is truth in that logic, it poses a great danger to us on becoming narcissists. It may be we use that reasoning to have an alternative of the mainstream princess culture but the question we should answer is, "What kind of princess/daughter are you?"

While you may call yourself a princess, God doesn't want you to become a royalty. He, the King of all Kings and Lord of Lords, a royalty in every right, did not come down to earth to declare himself a royalty but to become a servant to all.

Philippians 2:5-8 tells how, as we daughters of the King (i.e."princesses") should conduct ourselves. "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."

What is our attitude towards the prevailing princess culture? Do we consider ourselves none the better than others (Phil. 2:3) or puff up and declare royalty to our unbelieving counterparts with the hey-I'm-a-princess-too-daughter-of-the-Creator-King-of-all-Kings attitude?

What is it like to be a servant then? Phil 2:8 completes the answer of what it is like being a servant.

"And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on the cross!"

As a servant He did more than healing the sick, raising the dead, turning blood into water, and feeding thousands. He served as an atonement for our sin.

Now, what are you? A serve-me-love-me princess? Or a Christ-like love-others-serve-others daughter?

IT IS OFFICIALLY HERE!

2009-05-29T10:58:00.006+08:00

Alyssa and I went to OMF yesterday to really see for ourselves Do Hard Things on the shelf. Well, we found it not on the shelf but on display for all shoppers to see. Here are some photos of our visit.

We pray that the Lord will bless the heart of the readers to take action. May it not just be a good or inspirational read. May Do Hard Things be a battle cry of our generation for His glory.

Fireproof and Rejection

2009-05-21T01:55:00.002+08:00

I've watched Fireproof the fourth time over the past week. Though there was a good amount of humor and sudden-thrill-that-tingled-over-me-from-head-to-foot scenes, there was one scene that constantly seizes me whenever I watch it. The scene where Caleb surrenders to the cross.

“How am I supposed to show love over and over and over to somebody who constantly rejects me?”

That’s a very good question, isn’t it? Not only for Caleb but for all of us—especially believers. Most of us probably think that that Fireproof scene was made to reach unbelievers only. I think its message should hold more meaning to us believers.

The apostle Peter believed Christ was Messiah yet he rejected knowing Him when questioned after Jesus’ arrest. In the same way we have believed and received Christ, yet we’re also guilty in constantly rejecting Him.

We have been rejecting Christ in our lives and in many ways unconsciously done. Yet doing something unconsciously that we consciously know about is not an excuse. When I disobey my parents, I reject Him. When I refuse to get up early to help around the house, I reject Him. When I make physical weakness as an excuse to not do my devotions, I reject Him. When I make bargain with Him on doing a task, I reject Him.

He said, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me…”

How many times in our lives have we allowed Him to work in our thoughts, words and actions? Do you give quick excuses to be let off on something that He wants you to do? How is your life displaying that you are of Christ? Is it even noticeable? How’s your complete obedience to Him? Have you submitted it yet?

If we truly love Him, we would obey. If we truly love Him, we would submit every single little thing in our lives to His control. The decisions we make every day are also decisions whether we’ll reject Him or not.

****************************************************************

“How is He supposed to show love over and over and over to somebody who constantly rejects Him?”

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And He answered by dying on the cross.

Article: The Burger King Syndrome

2009-05-18T16:40:00.009+08:00

Written for TLW Philippines

Imagine a huge, delicious, juicy burger staring up at you from a tray on the table. You take a sniff, feeling hungrier every minute. There it is—all what you want, how you want it. The bun, toasted lightly. No tomatoes or lettuce or that icky sour stuff. Just the delicious meat and the delicious cheese.

Welcome to Burger King. The place where you can have your burger prepared just the way you want it. Want tomoates? No? Okay, how about lettuce? An extra serving of pickles? Absolutely no mustard or mayonnaise?
That’s Burger King’s greatest feat—you get to have what you want the way you want it.

Often, we take the “Have It Your Way” attitude—or what I call “the Burger King Syndrome”—all the way through life.
As long as we want something, we think we can get it. We push the limits, we step past the boundaries. We think that the world out there is to please us. Read More...

Here It Comes!!!

2009-05-14T16:48:00.007+08:00

Got a blog? Love reading? Want to write a review? Tell us and you could get an advance copy of our latest book--FREE!

Do Hard Things is the revolutionary book by Alex and Brett Harris that's got every teen talking--and doing. Eighteen years old when they wrote it, the twins are spurring other teenagers to rebel against society's low expectations. They're saying that the teenage years isn't a vacation from responsibility. It's the launching pad of life.

Do Hard Things will be hitting the stores in June. Be one of the first to take a sneak peek!

If you want to read the book and write about it, email promo@omflit.com with your name and a link to your blog (or Facebook, Friendster, Multiply, MySpace account). OMF will randomly select 20 bloggers who'll get a FREE copy of Do Hard Things. All OMF asks is that you read it and post a review in your blog, then copy-paste it in the OMF site, too. It's that easy!

For more information, call 531.6635 local 304 or email promo@omflit.com

The Importance of Teamwork (video)

2009-04-23T22:50:00.005+08:00

I saw this clip earlier and thought that it illustrated a good point about teamwork. One of the things we have to constantly remember in choir is to never be too loud. A choir, after all, is not about just one person but about the whole group. Practice and unity causes us to blend the right way, producing the right sound in order for us to sing a song the right way.

Just like music, sometimes, life's "notes" get a little out of tune. Teamwork, however, is what makes a simple melody a beautiful song.

Enjoy watching!

IgniterMedia.com

Parenting Seminar 101 by Pastor Clem Guillermo

2009-04-19T17:13:00.006+08:00

Our church will be hosting a parenting seminar. Speaker is Pastor Clem Guillermo. If you are interested in attending, please feel free to contact us, or the cellphone numbers in the poster.

Spread the word!

Thanks!

March and Doulos

2009-04-01T13:37:00.009+08:00

March has been a very busy month with Alyssa and I. March is the closing month for our school year in college. With it also came Doulos, a ship ministry we've fallen in love with.

Doulos the ship, is the world's oldest ocean-passenger going ship. It was built in 1914, just two years younger than Titanic. It was launched on 1914 in the U.S.A. as a freighter named Medina. She became Roma, a migrant carrier, in 1948. In 1952, she became a cruise liner named Franca C and in 1977 she was renamed again and to this day is named Doulos, a Greek word which means "servant."

Aside from being the oldest sailing ship in the world, Doulos is also a floating United Nations with around 350 crew members coming from 50 different nations working together for one purpose of bringing Knowledge, Help, and Hope to the people of the world.

It sails around the world with its bookfair, bringing knowledge through the literature they carry. As an expression of God's love and concern for those in need, Doulos crew members provide help by building water pumps, building a community day-care center, and distribution of food, clothing and other basic needs to poor communities around the world in the ports they visit.

There would be no bringing knowledge and help if without the hope of each crew member onboard--the hope they have in Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Saviour. The hope they have in Jesus is what each crew member wish to bring in ports they visit.

Doulos was docked in Pier 13 in Manila for the whole month of March. Alyssa and I had a chance in experiencing life onboard, even for a very short time. For my part I was a port volunteer for 12 days. The next few posts on the next days will be about our experiences on board, which caused so much growth in our lives as we made interaction with an international community that is all for Jesus.

Coming Soon to the Philippines: "Do Hard Things"

2009-03-22T21:10:00.004+08:00

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